


Eager, Young, and Starry-Eyed

by tiniestmite



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: American Football, Fluff, Hospitals, Hurt Carlos Reyes, Injury, Injury Recovery, M/M, Whump, Worried TK Strand, knee injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:47:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24920059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiniestmite/pseuds/tiniestmite
Summary: When Carlos is asked to participate in the annual football game for his police precinct, TK is more than willing to come cheer him on. Though the afternoon does not go quite as expected when Carlos gets injured during the game. His road to recovery isn’t easy but he’s determined not to let this injury be the end of his career.-aka I can’t stop writing Carlos whump and this is my self-indulgent knee injury fic
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 36
Kudos: 140





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, I suck at summaries.
> 
> Also a disclaimer that I really don’t like or understand football (or any sport..) so therefore neither does TK and it’s written from his pov. Honestly, it serves nothing more than to be the context in which Carlos gets hurt.
> 
> Title is from "Late July" by Shakey Graves... it really has nothing to do with the story but it's my current favorite song and I can't stop listening to it so....
> 
> Beta-read by @terramous

TK was never that interested in sports. His dad had tried to get him into playing or at least watching any sports game with him when he was younger but it just never stuck.

But when Carlos told him about the annual football game that he was participating in for his police precinct, he couldn’t help but share in his excitement. Watching his attractive boyfriend run around on a field in a tight shirt, all hot and sweaty? He didn’t even have to think twice before agreeing to come cheer him on. 

Which is how he found himself sitting on the bleachers under the hot Austin sun in a local park.

He tries his best to follow the action on the field. Carlos had mentioned the game was just a friendly competition and from what he could tell, he was right. The players don’t seem to be taking the game too seriously. Instead of the aggressiveness among players TK was used to seeing when he would watch games with his dad, the players have been laughing and teasing each other throughout today’s game.

As for his boyfriend, TK did not have to understand the game to realize Carlos was playing incredibly well. In just the first half, he had worked up quite the sweat. He knew his boyfriend had played football in high school, having found his letterman jacket hidden in the back of his closet. However, when TK confronted him about it, Carlos failed to mention how good he was at the game. 

And now, seeing the little beads of sweat on Carlos’ forehead glisten in the sun was enough to make TK’s mouth dry. He could not wait to grab the other man by his wet curls and kiss him as soon as the game was over.

Every once in a while, Carlos glances over to him and gives him a smile that makes TK’s heart flutter. Who knew football was so much more fun to watch when the man you love was playing?

He was so lost in thought of how hot his boyfriend looked that it took him a few beats to realize that said man was no longer running across the field but was now curled up on the ground, surrounded by his teammates. 

Immediately, TK stands up, his heart pounding in his ears. What happened? Why wasn’t Carlos getting up?

He tries to suppress emotions and his racing thoughts but when another thirty seconds pass without Carlos making any move to get up, he can’t stop himself from making his way down the bleachers, toward the field. He pauses for a second at the sideline, wondering if it is okay for him to be on the field. But he quickly pushes that thought aside and makes his way over to Carlos. This is his boyfriend lying on the ground, clearly hurt. If anything, TK can at least try to push aside his emotions and put his training as a first responder to good use. 

As he gets closer to Carlos, he recognizes a few of the faces surrounding him, having seen them when he meets his boyfriend at the station or on calls. They must recognize him too because as soon as he gets close enough the crowd starts to part, allowing him to reach Carlos. Either that, or the worried look on his face is enough for them not to question who he is.

“Hey,” he says, kneeling down next to Carlos, “I didn’t see what happened. Are you okay?”

When Carlos looks up at him with a tight expression and jaw clenched so hard that the vein in his neck stands out, he gets his answer. Carlos is clearly not okay.

“Got tackled and my knee gave out,” Carlos winces and manages to grunt out.

TK’s heart breaks seeing the man he loves in such clear agony. He’s been with Carlos long enough to know the man has a high tolerance for pain and will often try to hide it, insisting that he is fine. The fact that he isn’t even bothering to conceal his emotions at this moment sets off quite a few alarms in TK’s head.

“Do you think you can stand so we can get you off the field?”

Carlos gives a small, unsure nod, and TK extends his hand out, trying to take on as much as the other man’s weight as he can. He slings the injured man’s arm over his shoulder and one of his teammates does the same on the other side, allowing Carlos to be practically carried off the field.

Once they hobble their way over to the sidelines, TK eases Carlos down onto the bench. He then takes a seat next to him and gently brings the other man’s right leg up to elevate it so he can take a closer look at it. He lightly touches it only to pull away when he hears Carlos’ sharp intake of breath. With how tender his knee is, TK can’t help but worry. It’s not looking good.

“Do you guys have any ice?” TK asks, directing his attention to the teammate who had assisted him in getting Carlos off the field. 

The other guy nods and hurries off before returning with a fresh bag of ice that TK gingerly places on Carlos’ knee.

“How’s your pain? One to ten?”

“Eleven. I think it’s my ACL,” Carlos grits out.

TK can feel his heart breaking all over again. ACL tears are never a good thing. If Carlos is right, he will likely be out of commission for a while. 

“Maybe not, it could just be a bad sprain.” TK suggests, trying to hope for the best.

“No, it is. I’ve done this before. With my other knee.”

“What? Carlos!”

“It’s what ended my football career in high school.”

Did Carlos really just say a knee injury is the reason why he stopped playing football? “Then can you please explain why you thought it would be a good idea to participate in the game today?”

“I told you it was just a friendly competition. I didn’t think it would be too rough, and I was told that the odds of my re-tearing my ACL was low.”

“Well were you ever informed that the probability of tearing the ACL in your other knee was higher? Around nine to twelve percent actually.” TK knows this is not the best time to throw statistics in Carlos’ face but his boyfriend needs to understand that what he did was reckless and preventable.

Carlos just looks at TK, pain clearly laced in his eyes as he bites down on his lip.

TK takes a breath. As much as he worries about his boyfriend and knows this could have been avoided, it happened nonetheless. And now they have to deal with it. “We need to get you checked out at the hospital. Do you think you can get over to the car or do you want me to call for an ambulance?”

He shakes his head. “It was embarrassing enough to get hurt in front of my co-workers, I don’t need to run the risk of Michelle finding out yet. She’s never going to let me live this down…” He pauses for a second before continuing, “I think I can make it to the car and you can drive.”

“Well I kind of figured I would be the one driving,” TK chuckles but stops when the joke falls flat.

TK loops his arm around Carlos, this time taking on the other man’s weight alone, and they make their way towards the parking lot.

* * *

Lucky for them, the emergency room was near empty and Carlos was able to be taken back right away. After an initial examination by the doctor which proved just how tender and swollen his knee was, he had been sent back for an MRI.

Now he was back in the room, waiting with TK anticipating the results. TK couldn’t help but notice how miserable his boyfriend looked sitting on the hospital bed, icing and elevating his right knee. He had traded in his sweaty t-shirt and shorts for an uncomfortable light blue hospital gown. The scowl on his face confirmed that Carlos would prefer to be anywhere else but here.

He exhales at his boyfriend's lethargic state. 

This gets Carlos’ attention, who turns and meets his eye. “What?”

“I know this sucks but you don’t have to look so sad.” TK tries to hide the small smile forming on his face. He can’t help it at the sight of the adorable pout of Carlos’ lips.

“I’m glad my pain is amusing you,” Carlos says as he looks away from the other man.

TK just stares at his boyfriend. “Come on, you know I didn’t mean it like that.”

Before Carlos can respond, their soft banter is interrupted by Carlos’ doctor knocking on the sliding glass door.

“I have the results for your scan,” he starts off. “I’m afraid our initial prognosis was right. There is a tear in the ACL of your right knee.”

TK doesn’t fail to notice the look of disappointment that washes over Carlos’ face upon hearing the news. He leans over and grabs his hand before giving a small nod to the doctor to continue.

“Now, taking in your occupation as an active police officer I would highly recommend surgery to repair the tear. It would require quite a bit of physical rehabilitation post-surgery, however it would guarantee you can get back out in the field in top shape. I can’t say the same for going with the non-surgical option, but that is still on the table if you would rather take that route.”

“I’ll do the surgery,” Carlos states without hesitation.

“Are you sure you don’t want to think about it?” TK asks, slightly taken aback by Carlos’ quick answer. He knows his boyfriend is anxious to return to work but this is a big decision and should not be taken lightly.

“I need to do it, TK,” he says, giving him a reassuring look before directing his attention back to the doctor. “I want to do the procedure.”

“Okay, well in that case I have an opening for you two weeks from today that we can schedule you for. And in the meantime, we’ll get you fitted with a brace and crutches. Try to take it easy until then and continue to ice and elevate until the swelling goes down.” 

Carlos nods and looks at TK, giving him a small smile. The same smile that made his heart flutter just a few hours ago, now under different circumstances but having the same effect. His boyfriend was going to be just fine.

* * *

“Careful baby,” TK says while holding the door open for his boyfriend who was hobbling behind him on his crutches. His knee was now safely secured in a tight black brace. Though if the look on Carlos’ face was any indication, it was still causing him quite a bit of pain. 

“Yeah, I got it,” Carlos grunts as he makes his way through the door frame.

TK just sighs. He knows his boyfriend is determined to do everything on his own but he’s mistaken if he thinks TK isn’t going to mother hen him for the next few months until he is fully recovered.

He watches Carlos ease himself onto the couch, elevating his knee and letting his crutches fall to the side. 

Making his way over to the kitchen, TK grabs a fresh ice pack for his boyfriend before joining him on the couch, delicately placing the ice pack on Carlos’ knee.

“How are you doing?” TK asks, concern clear in his voice.

“My knee hurts.”

“I can’t fathom why it would. I meant mentally, how are you doing?”

“I don’t know,” Carlos says, averting his gaze away from TK.

TK pulls on his hand to get his attention. “Hey, talk to me.”

“I guess I’m bummed because this won’t be an easy recovery, and I really want to get back to work but I know that won’t happen for a while.”

“How do you feel about the surgery?”   


“I’m a little nervous… I mean I had the same procedure when it happened but this time it’s different. I was in high school then. Now, I don’t know,” he pauses to gather his thoughts. “The stakes are a little higher I guess.”

“Well, you agreed to it very quickly,” TK adds on.

“Yeah, TK, because I know if I want to go back to work, that’s my only option,” Carlos quickly fires back.

“Listen to me,” TK says, looking at his boyfriend seriously. “You’re allowed to be more than a little nervous about it. It’s a fairly big procedure. And yes, it will take a while to recover but I’m going to be here every step of the way to take care of you. Mentally and physically.”

Carlos looks up at him softly before snuggling into TK’s side. “Have I mentioned how much I adore you?”

“Did I mention how hot you looked today, all athletic?” TK bites on his lip, the urge from earlier in the day to grab his boyfriend by the curls coming back just as strong.   
  
“Yeah some athlete I am,” Carlos says, gesturing down to his knee brace.

TK just smirks. “Well have I mentioned I find sports injuries pretty hot too?”

“You’re ridiculous,” Carlos chuckles. 

TK smiles and cups the other man’s cheek. “Yeah but you love me anyway.”   
  
They smile at each other before leaning in, pressing their lips together for a passionate kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snippets of Carlos' recovery (part 1/2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just liked this story too much to end it after one chapter... originally when I outlined this chapter I had eight snippets/sections planned. Then I started writing and it got very long very fast. So I decided to break it up and there will be a third chapter with four more snippets! Hope you guys enjoy what I have to share of this so far :)

“How did you sleep?”

The only response TK gets is a groan from the other side of the bed. He’s not surprised, especially since Carlos’ injury happened only 18 hours ago. He could feel the other man as he tossed and turned all night. 

“Can I make you something for breakfast?” TK asks, rolling over so he was facing his boyfriend. He hoped maybe his offer would pull Carlos out of his sour mood.

“What I really need is a shower,” Carlos chuckles,“I feel disgusting.”

“Okay, let’s go,” TK says, already shifting out of bed and extending his hand to Carlos.

“TK, I can barely put any weight on my knee. There’s no way I could stand in the shower, let alone long enough to actually wash all the sweat off me from yesterday.”

“I’m going to help you,” TK starts to explain but stops when Carlos gives him a look. “Not like that. I just meant you can lean on me and we can figure it out together.”

Carlos just sighs. “You’re not going to give up are you?”

TK smiles and grabs his hand to pull him up. He also reaches for the crutches that are leaning against the wall and passes them to Carlos. “I’ll meet you in the bathroom, okay?”

Once TK gets the water to the right temperature, hot enough to soothe Carlos’ pain but not too scorching, he hears the other man hobbling his way to the bathroom.

“You really don’t have to do this,” he says, easing himself down on the toilet seat and beginning to take off his knee brace.

“We’ve already been over this. We’re doing it and I’m just happy to be able to help you out,” TK smiles and pulls the other man up when he’s done undressing.

“Have I mentioned how much I love you?”

“Hmmmm, I think it’s come up once or twice.”

The two men kiss, before stepping into the shower.

* * *

TK would have thought the worst of Carlos’ anxiety came out three weeks ago when he was first brought into the emergency room. However, in the weeks leading up to the surgery, it has only gotten worse.

Now that they are back at the hospital waiting in a small room for Carlos to be taken back to surgery, TK feels helpless as he watches his boyfriend nervously bite down on his lip and twiddle his thumbs.

“Hey,” he says trying to pull his attention away from what lies ahead. “It’s going to be fine. Just relax.”

“You don’t know that,” Carlos fires back. “I mean what if something goes wrong? Even doing this surgery doesn’t necessarily guarantee I will be able to return back to work.”

“Is that the worst thing that could happen?”

“What?” 

It’s clear that now TK has Carlos’ full attention. “Not being able to return to work, is that your worst case scenario?”

“Yeah I guess,” Carlos says, averting his gaze away from TK.

“Okay,” TK pauses for a second, considering what he can ask next to continue to keep Carlos distracted. “What will you do if that happens?”

“I don’t even want to think about it,” Carlos sighs.

“Just do it. Put yourself in the situation.”

“TK, I don’t know.”

He knows he’s pushing Carlos; The frustration is clear on his face. But TK also knows that by forcing Carlos to consider his options, he is able to pull Carlos out of his own head. “Think about it.”

“I don’t want to play this game anymore,” Carlos says, defeat clear in his voice.

Deciding to take another approach, TK thinks before asking, “Why did you become a police officer in the first place?”

“I don’t know,” Carlos pauses. He looks like he’s about to shrug off an answer again before he opens his mouth. “I guess to help people.”

This is good. TK smiles, knowing he’s finally getting somewhere with Carlos. “Well, what other jobs can you do that help people?”

“TK, I just…”

“Carlos,” TK cuts him off. They’ve made it this far, he is not going to let his boyfriend get away without giving him a serious answer.

They sit for a few minutes in silence while Carlos gives it some thought. Finally he says, “I guess I could always do some kind of social work.”

“There you go!” TK tries to hide the small smile from forming on his face. The thought of Carlos doing social work never really occurred to him before but now he can’t get the image out of his head. It’s the perfect way for him to still help people, just in a different way. 

Seeing TK’s face light up, Carlos mirrors his smile. “And like, working with kids...”

“I could definitely see you doing that,” TK nods. “So now if all else fails, you have a back up plan, right?”

It’s clear Carlos looks more relaxed than he did a few minutes ago. “Yeah, okay,” he admits, a smile still visible on his face.

A few moments pass before the doctor comes in, asking if Carlos is ready. He and TK exchange smiles, each comforted by the knowledge that no matter what, everything would work out just fine. After all, they had each other.

* * *

Watching Carlos sleep has always brought TK a sense of comfort. Standing in the door frame of their bedroom, TK takes note of how adorable he looks with the softened look on his face and a small pool of drool forming in the corner of his mouth, leaking onto the pillow. 

Now that his surgery is over and went well, Carlos is officially on the road to recovery. Seeing the peaceful rise and fall of his chest while he rests makes TK grateful now more than ever to have this incredible man in his life.

When Carlos’ eyes start to flutter, TK shifts from where he was leaning in the door frame and makes his way into the room, careful not to drop the special surprise he was holding in front of him. “Good morning, baby.”

Carlos blinks a few times, slowly becoming aware that instead of TK waking up next to him as usual, he was now standing next to him with a tray full of his breakfast favorites. “Did you make me breakfast?” he asks through a yawn. 

“Yeah, do you like it?” TK worries for a second that he may have overstepped. Or maybe Carlos isn’t feeling up to eating. Perhaps he’s still feeling nauseous from the anesthesia. 

“I would have liked it more if I woke up next to you…” Carlos answers, looking up at him with those soft brown eyes that always make TK swoon. Finally, he smiles and TK relaxes. “Yes, of course I like it. Thank you, baby.”

TK places the tray down and grabs some pillows to place behind Carlos to make it easier to transition to a seated position in bed. With some help from TK, Carlos is able to shift so that he is sitting up. Though he tries not to, TK doesn’t fail to notice the flash of pain that washes over Carlos’ face whenever he moves his body.

“How do you feel?” TK asks, even though he knows the odds of Carlos giving him an honest answer are low.

Carlos just shrugs. “A little sore”

TK is surprised that Carlos admitted he was in any pain at all. He must really be hurting. “Do you want me to go get some of your pain medication?”

“No, no,” Carlos chuckles and gives him a small smile. “I want you to stay right here, and cuddle with me.”

“Now that I can do,” TK says, moving to the other side of the bed and climbing in next to Carlos. He wraps his arms around his boyfriend, careful not to jostle him too much, and enjoys the presence of Carlos’ warm body against his.

* * *

“How did it go?” TK asks Carlos when he exits the physical therapist’s office. He had arrived early to pick up his boyfriend hoping to catch a glimpse of the progress he had made during the first session. Unfortunately they wouldn’t allow him in the room, so he settled for sitting on the bench just outside of the door.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Carlos says, brushing past him and hobbling his way towards the exit. If he wasn’t still relying on crutches, TK suspects he probably would have dashed right to the car.

Instead, TK is easily able to catch up to him before he gets to the parking lot. The walk to the car, as well as the subsequent drive is awkwardly quiet. TK has to fight the urge to press Carlos for more information. He knows when his boyfriend needs to be pushed and when to ease off and this is definitely an ease-off situation.

The longer the deafening silence goes on though, the harder it is for TK not to say anything. Even just to change the topic. But he knows that Carlos needs this time and instead he focuses on the drive and waits for him to speak first.

It isn’t until they are nearly home that Carlos finally speaks up.

“I couldn’t do anything.”

TK comes to a stop at a red light and glances over at his boyfriend, waiting to see if he would say anything else. When it’s clear that was all Carlos was willing to share at the moment, TK tries to provide the reassurance he needs. “Well that makes sense, babe. It’s only your first session…”

“No, I know that TK,” Carlos cuts him off. Now that he’s started talking, it’s all coming out and the frustration is clear in his voice. “But I couldn’t do anything. Everything my therapist asked me to do, I couldn’t do it. I figured I wouldn’t be walking like normal today but even just simple stuff like stretches. I couldn’t do it. It was a waste of time.”

“Well, what did your therapist say?” TK asks as the light turns green and he directs his attention back to the road.

“She was encouraging. She said I did good for it being only the first day.”

“Well that’s great news!” TK’s excitement is short-lived when he quickly glances over to Carlos and notices the sour look on his face.

“No it’s not,” Carlos argues. “I need to do better if I want to go back to work.”

“Carlos, that’s not something you need to worry about right now.”

“I know, but I can’t help it,” Carlos sighs and looks down. “How can I ever expect to go back to full duty if I can’t even bend my knee more than ten degrees?”

It shouldn’t surprise TK that his boyfriend’s top priority is getting back to work but his heart still breaks to hear the defeat in Carlos’ voice.

“You know recovery takes time, babe. You just have to keep working and going to your sessions,” he says in the hopes that he can bring Carlos’ mood up. “Plus, you are in great shape. I know you will get back your full mobility in no time.”

He really isn’t sure what else to say. It’s obvious that Carlos is dead set on returning to work and today’s setback is only making his thoughts spiral further.

“Yeah, okay.”

“Healing takes time.”

“Yeah, you’ve mentioned,” Carlos snaps.

Turning his attention back to the road, TK tries not to take it personally. It’s clear that Carlos is just in a bad mood and talking about it really isn’t doing any good. What Carlos really needs is a distraction.

When he pulls up to the intersection where they would normally turn right to get home, he continues straight until he makes a left into the parking lot of the firehouse.

Carlos turns to look at him, confused. “What are we doing here? I thought you took the day off?”

“I did. I just need to take care of some stuff,” TK smiles at him and unbuckles his seatbelt. “Do you mind hanging out for a bit?”

“Okay.” Carlos shrugs and does the same. 

They make their way into the firehouse and are greeted with open arms by the 126. TK greets his co-workers but keeps a close eye on Carlos. At first he seemed apprehensive to the idea of hanging out with TK’s crew but after a few warm hugs from Marjan and Mateo and a soft ruffle of his hair by Judd, TK can tell the smile on Carlos’ face is genuine. He may not be able to fix all of Carlos’ problems, but he always knows the right way to brighten his mood.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you look at that? Five months later and I finally updated!! Hope everyone enjoys this final installment.

Slowly but surely, Carlos continues to make progress in his recovery. Some days are good, some could be better, but overall TK begins to see a shift in his boyfriend's mood that gives him hope that things are heading in the right direction.

Walking through the door after a long shift, his eyes settle on Carlos resting on the couch. TK is glad to see that he is taking it easy, as his doctor and physical therapist told him too.

“Hey,” Carlos smiles and greets him. “I was just about to turn on the game. It’s Cowboys and Eagles. Why don’t you come over and sit with me?”

“Oh, I, um,” TK shifts uncomfortably. Not that he wants to say “no” to Carlos, but the idea of sitting down and watching a football game is not exactly how he planned to spend his evening. However, with Carlos looking at him with those big brown eyes that TK can’t resist, he resigns. “Okay, sure.”

He takes a seat next to Carlos, as the other man turns on the game. Not even a few minutes in, he already finds himself bored and confused by what’s happening on the screen.  _ Why do they keep stopping? Wait, who has the ball now? Why does Carlos keep yelling? _

Absentmindedly he twirls the string of his hoodie with his fingers, trying his best to figure out the rules of a game that makes no sense. Every few minutes he checks his phone, just to see if anything new is happening on Twitter and to provide a break from thinking about what appears to be a never-ending game.

When the first quarter finally ends, Carlos turns to him. “Alright, what’s up?”

TK gives him a questioning look. Carlos seemed so invested in the game that TK finds it hard to believe the other man was even aware that TK was bored out of his mind. 

“I understand Cowboy’s probably aren’t your favorite team, but you don’t seem to have any interest in the game at all. Something on your mind?”

TK sighs. “No, it’s not that…”

“Then what?”

“I don’t like football, Carlos.”

At first Carlos looks confused, studying TK to process what he had just revealed. “Sorry, you seemed so excited to watch the police game, I guess I just assumed you liked the sport.”

“Yeah, that’s because you were playing,” TK tries not to laugh, thinking back to how much fun it was to see the man he loves running around on that field, all hot and sweaty. Before the day turned bad, that is. 

“Oh,” Carlos says, looking a little disappointed before he perks up again. “Would you rather watch something else?”

TK waves him off. “No, no, you watch your game. I need to take a shower and change anyway.”

“Yeah, okay,” he gets up from the couch, turning to Carlos before he leaves. “Let me know who wins though?”

Carlos laughs. “Do you even remember who’s playing?” 

“No,” TK smiles. “But if you care, I care.”

“Go take your shower,” Carlos replies, returning the smile and directing his attention back to the game.

* * *

“I was thinking about going back to work next week,” Carlos blurts out, breaking the comfortable silence they had fallen into during their dinner.

“Going back to work?”

“Yeah, I mean light duty. I probably wouldn’t even leave my desk.”

It shouldn’t surprise TK that Carlos is bringing this up. After all, it’s basically been his only priority after getting injured. Honestly, he’s touched that his boyfriend cares so much about the work he does but at the same time TK can’t help but wonder if it’s too soon. “Are you sure you’re up for that?” 

“I mean, physical therapy is going well,” Carlos replies while pushing his food around with his fork. It’s clear he has given this a lot of thought, but is still nervous about the idea. “My therapist said it would be okay and my captain said I could come back whenever I was ready.”

“Maybe you should take a little more time though,” TK says, not that he wants to hold Carlos back. But he also would rather make sure his boyfriend is fully healed before going back to work. He can see how this recovery has taken a toll on him and wouldn’t want to risk further injury if he jumps back too soon.

“TK, I’ve taken five months off. I think it’s been enough time.”

“Couldn’t you just wait until you’re a little farther along in your recovery?”

“I can’t be quarantined in this house forever, TK.”

Of course, Carlos has a point. “I know that, but I just don’t want you to push yourself too much.”

“Hey, I promise I won’t do that,” Carlos reaches across the table with a smile. “You really think I would do anything that would prolong my recovery any longer?”

TK sighs. 

“I will take it slow, okay? If it makes you feel better, I won’t even put in full days at first. And, I’ll still need a ride to and from since I’m not cleared to drive yet. So you will know for sure just how much time I’m putting in. How does that sound?”

TK nods. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Carlos repeats with a smile.

* * *

“Looking at your scans, you’ve come a long way from what we saw seven months ago,” the doctor says with a smile. 

TK turns to Carlos, waiting to see if the other man is going to say anything. Instead he just stares at the doctor, processing what was just said. They both knew this would be an important appointment, since it would determine just how far along Carlos was in his recovery. While he was excited when he returned to work on light desk duty a few weeks ago, he is now getting antsy just waiting to get back out into the world. 

At no indication that Carlos would reply, TK speaks up. “That sounds like good news?”

“It is. I don’t see any issues from the surgery. And from what I hear, you’ve made an incredible amount of progress in physical therapy.”

“Yeah,” Carlos says with a smile. “It was rough at first, but I think I’ve gained nearly full mobility back.”

It’s true, after some hard sessions and a few tears of discouragement, Carlos didn’t give up on his desire to get better and began to see a lot of improvement. It warmed TK’s heart every time he went to pick up Carlos and the other man had a smile on his face, eager to tell him all about what he accomplished that day. 

“Well with all that in mind, I am going to sign your papers declaring you fit for full duty,” the doctor says with a click of his pen, writing something down on the clipboard in his hands.    
  


Carlos looks almost shocked. “Wait, really?”

“Unless you don’t think you're ready?” The doctor replies as he stops writing. 

“No, no, I definitely am!” Carlos backtracks, turning to TK with a smile. “I just can’t believe it’s happening.”

TK can’t help but return the smile, in addition to grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze. It feels like it’s been so long since he’s seen his boyfriend this happy. “Hey, this is really good news.”

“Yeah,” he trails off, before turning his attention back to the doctor. “When would I be able to go back on duty?”

“Maybe as early as next week?”

“Okay,” Carlos nods, and repeats himself with a smile. “Okay!”

* * *

When Carlos enters the kitchen in his uniform, TK can’t help but grin from ear to ear. Sure, he’s been wearing it when he goes into the precinct for desk duty. But with today being his first official day back on full duty, there’s something different about it. And TK swear’s Carlos has never looked better in the uniform.

“Are you nervous?” TK asks, noticing the way the other man is fiddling with the buttons on his shirt.

“A little?” Carlos sighs, resting his chin in his palms. “I don’t know, I guess I’m more anxious.”

“That’s normal, it’s been awhile. Just don’t push yourself too much, okay?”

“I promise.”

“Good. I packed you lunch,” TK smiles, handing him the brown bag sitting on the counter. He knows it’s probably pretty cheesy but he wanted a personal way to wish Carlos ‘good luck.’ So he settled for getting up just a little bit earlier and making Carlos’ favorite ham and cheese sandwich, and sticking a little ‘I love you note’ inside the bag. 

“TK, you didn’t have to do that…”

“No, I know, but it’s your first day back and I wanted to do something special for you,” TK waves him off. “And besides, it’s healthier than whatever takeout you would be getting anyway.”

“Well maybe you could pack your own lunch and come eat with me today?” Carlos offers with a smile while grabbing his lunch bag. 

“I would love that,” TK returns the smile. 

“Then it’s a date,” Carlos whispers, leaning in close and placing a soft kiss on TK’s lips. “I’ll text you when I’m on my break then?”

“Yes. Please be safe?” 

“I will. I love you.”

“I love you too,” TK replies, watching Carlos as he walks out the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not making any promises but this probably won't be the last knee injury fic I write...

**Author's Note:**

> Knee injuries are like... my whump guilty pleasure idk they are my fave thing to read so the fact that I finally indulged and let myself write one... I had a lot of fun. 
> 
> Come talk to me about Carlos whump on tumblr: @officerrxyes
> 
> Comments and kudos make my day ❤️


End file.
